Tammy Baldwin Endorses Reforms Addressing Sexual Assault In Military

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) joined a group of female U.S. senators on Tuesday to speak about reforms addressing sexual assault in the military.

The 10 senators took to the floor today to show support for reforms that include the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. Baldwin says the service of men and women in the armed forces needs to be respected by taking action to address the epidemic of sexual assault in the military.

“We know that the system is broken and it is long past time that we fix it,” said Baldwin.

The National Defense Authorization Act includes more than 30 provisions addressing sexual assault in the military, including prosecutorial reform and improved services for victims.

During her speech, Baldwin shared the story of a La Crosse woman, Rachel Beauchene. Beauchene began Army basic training in 2004 and was sexually assaulted that year. She was ultimately forced to drop her charge against the assailant, was written up for fraternization, and eventually given an honorable discharge.

Beauchene says she began to share her experience in late 2012. Earlier this year, she started Survivors Empowered Through Art to raise awareness about military sexual assault.

Beauchene says it's meaningful to have her story told as part of ongoing effort to address military sexual assault. “It means that my story's helping, that it's making a difference,” says Beauchene. “It's not about me, but it's about putting a face to a very serious issue and hoping people realize that it is affecting others, that it is an epidemic, that it is overflowing into our communities.”

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